


Soulmates: A Cautionary Fairytale

by A Magiluna Stormwriter (ariestess)



Series: OQ Angst Fest 2018 [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Character Death, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Murder, Soulmate-Induced Color Vision, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-06-26 16:22:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15666852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariestess/pseuds/A%20Magiluna%20Stormwriter
Summary: Once upon a time, in a land far, far away…  A cautionary fairytale about soulmates.





	Soulmates: A Cautionary Fairytale

**Author's Note:**

> Date Written: 12 August 2018  
> Word Count: 1239  
> Written for: OQ August Angst Week 2018  
> Prompts: 05, 34, 35  
> Summary: Once upon a time, in a land far, far away… A cautionary fairytale about soulmates.  
> Spoilers: Canon divergent soulmates AU that pre-dates canon.  
> Warnings: Major character death, grief, referenced murder  
> Website: ShatterStorm Productions – Doggie Duo  
> Link to: http://bdkk.shatterstorm.net/  
> Archive: ShatterStorm Productions & AO3 only…all others ask for permission & we'll see…  
> Feedback: Constructive criticism is always welcome.
> 
> Author’s Disclaimer: "Once Upon a Time," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis, Kitsis/Horowitz, and ABC Studios. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "Once Upon a Time," ABC, or any representatives of the actors.
> 
> Author’s Notes: Yeah, so this is probably the most horrible thing I've ever written. Not in an "I hate my writing, this really sucks" kind of way, but more in a "How tf could I write something so evil?" kind of way. That said, I stand by this fic in the spirit of what OQ August Angst Fest is all about. If you don't walk away from this fic feeling horrible and/or vowing vengeance against me, then I haven't done my job correctly… And I know I've never written Cora _quite_ this cold-bloodedly heartless before.
> 
> Dedication: My muses, as usual…
> 
> Beta: Many thanks to Jess and Keeley for the last minute glance over this…

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a young prince named Robin. He was the only child of King Robert the Brave and Queen Elizabeth the Kindhearted of Sherwood Forest. Much loved within all the kingdom, Prince Robin wanted for nothing more than a playmate. But try as they might, the king and queen were unsuccessful in producing a brother or sister for their only son.

A few months after his third birthday, Prince Robin began to speak of his new best friend. "Her name Wegina," he said with a sweet smile that showed off his dimples anytime anyone would ask. "Her mees bestest fwend."

This continued for several months. Everywhere Prince Robin went, he said Regina came with him. They held long conversations that only small children could consider interesting. No matter what he did during the day, Prince Robin made sure that Regina knew about it.

King Robert was not pleased with this development and sought to stop his son from perpetuating these behaviors that could make the kingdom of Sherwood Forest seem weak. But Queen Elizabeth would only smile and shake her head, saying, "He's a little boy doing little boy things."

"He is the heir to this kingdom. He will act responsibly."

Queen Elizabeth chuckled and left him, saying that soon enough their little prince wouldn't be so little. When he grew older and began his studies, he'd no longer have need of an imaginary friend like Regina.

>>>=====> <=====<<<

On the southern border of Sherwood Forest lay the Kingdom of Enchanted Forest, ruled over by King Xavier the Brusque. His third son, Prince Henry was married to Princess Cora, the daughter of a lowly miller, with no hopes of ever sitting on the familial throne. This did not please Princess Cora, who wished for nothing more than to be a queen owed all manner of obeisance by those she felt had wronged her. Before wedding Prince Henry, Princess Cora had birthed an illegitimate daughter and left her to founder in the woods. But she became with child within days of her wedding and proudly proclaimed to one and all that she carried a son within her womb that would one day rule all the kingdoms.

>>>=====> <=====<<<

"Mama," Prince Robin said one day, "Wegina sees weds only. Mees sees all da colors."

The knowledge that her son could see in color was a blessing to Queen Elizabeth, for it meant that his soulmate was somewhere within the realms. It became one of her arguments with her husband about allowing the prince to have his fun with "Regina" for the time being.

The closer it got to Prince Robin's fourth birthday, the more excited he got when talking to and about Regina. "She comes soon!" became his daily mantra. Queen Elizabeth found it adorable, King Robert found it distastefully annoying.

Exactly one week before his fourth birthday, Prince Robin woke up in the witching hour, practically vibrating with excitement that his friend was almost here. Nothing his parents and nanny tried would get the boy to sleep. He stayed up, alternating between excitedly babbling to Regina about all the new things she'd get to see and comforting her when she seemed frightened.

"Robin, my sweet prince," his mother said to him around tea time, "you're going to make yourself sick if you won't eat. Regina wouldn't like that, would she?"

Those words worked wonders to get the young prince to finally eat a decent meal. His excitement continued well into the evening until he finally proclaimed, "Wegina here! Wegina here!" before collapsing from the long day of anticipation. He giggled sleepily to himself as his nanny prepared him for bed, then curled up with his stuffed fox.

>>>=====> <=====<<<

In the Enchanted Forest, Princess Cora was in labor nearly the whole day, loudly berating anyone and anything that didn't keep her comfortable during the process. She demanded things for the coming of Prince Alaric, which she had already named him, for one day he would be an all-powerful king of the united realms.

Prince Henry and King Xavier both anxiously awaited news of the child's birth. By the time the evening meal had come and gone, Prince Henry was announced to be the father of a beautiful baby girl. Understanding the thought process behind the name Alaric, he suggested that perhaps he and Princess Cora could name their daughter Regina, for one day she could become a queen.

Princess Cora begrudgingly allowed the name change after King Xavier seemed amenable to it. She requested time alone to rest with the wee new princess to remain with her for bonding purposes. Prince Henry saw the ire flashing in her dark eyes, but knew better than to question his wife on womanly matters.

>>>=====> <=====<<<

Prince Robin awoke from a deep sleep in the witching hour with a loud scream of terror. He kept pleading, "Please don't leave, Wegina," until he let out another anguished cry that he suddenly couldn't find Regina because everything was dark and ugly. No one and nothing would console the miserable little boy. When he finally passed out from exhaustion, his voice was a mere whisper of the same pleas over and over about Regina being missing in this dark and scary place.

>>>=====> <=====<<<

It was with a heavy heart that Prince Henry awoke to learn that his newborn daughter had died in the night, a few brief hours after drawing her first breath. It was a fate that before more newborns than anyone cared to admit, but no one knew how to stop it from happening. Princess Cora seemed to have forgotten all about the babe, which only made Prince Henry's grief sharper and deeper. She chose to keep to herself, claiming her own grieving process, but King Xavier learned from the maids that a pillow from the princess' bed was found on the floor next to the bassinet in which Princess Regina spent the few hours of her life, as well as loose down feathers piercing the gown the baby wore.

It was all King Xavier needed to hear to know what happened. Princess Cora refuted the accusations initially, but eventually the king wore her down and she confessed to suffocating the useless girl child. King Xavier sentenced her to death in a week's time for the crime of intentional regicide. Princess Regina's tiny body was buried with honor within the family crypt.

>>>=====> <=====<<<

Prince Robin refused to eat or leave his bed, even under the threat of punishment from his father. He simply curled up with his fox and cried, mumbling about how dark and plain and lonely everything was without Regina.

When news of Princess Regina's death reached the palace of Sherwood Forest, Queen Elizabeth realized what had happened to her son. Even King Robert relented in his censure of his son's behavior. Queen Elizabeth stayed at Prince Robin's side morning and night, tearfully watching her only child waste away.

One week later, on the same day that the former Princess Cora was hanged for killing Princess Regina, young Prince Robin finally passed away in his sleep. It was his fourth birthday. He was buried in the crypt below the throne room of his father's castle, his beloved fox and a small piece of Princess Regina's receiving blanket clutched in his hands.

Queen Elizabeth prayed that the young soulmates would meet in the afterlife and find a kind of peace with each other.


End file.
